Tiles are used in numerous applications where it is desirable to shape one or more edges of a tile or tiles at the location where the tiles are being installed. In particular, tiles of natural origin and composition, e.g., marble, granite or wood, often have coloring and shading characteristics shared within a batch of the material that make it difficult to optimally pre-cut or pre-shape an individual tile without closely observing the intended placement of a given tile in relationship to other tiles of the batch and the installation site. Furthermore, many tiles of natural origin, as well as porcelain, ceramic, brick, concrete block and certain engineered stone types, may not consistently present dimensions within tight tolerances of shape and planarity.
The prior art provides manual techniques for shaping an edge in slow and cumbersome steps. The prior art approaches using automated systems or machining tools are not generally economically feasible for on-site applications. Additionally, the prior art approaches are further reduced in efficiency when applied to tiles having dimensional tolerances outside of narrow ranges.